1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method for quenching formed glass sheets.
2. Background Art
Formed glass sheets are conventionally quenched to enhance their mechanical properties. Such formed glass sheets are conventionally used on vehicle side and back windows as well as in other applications such as architectural applications and food storage and display units, etc. Usually the forming and quenching is performed to provide tempering that provides the glass sheet with surface compression on the order of 100 MegaPascals (14,250 psi), but the quenching can also be utilized to perform heat strengthening wherein the surface compression is less such as on the order of 50 MegaPascals (7,250 psi).
Conventional forming and quenching systems successively form and quench the glass sheets in a cyclical manner one after another initially at a forming station and then downstream at a quench station. The formed glass sheets can be formed and delivered from the forming station faster than quenching can be performed in the quench station such that reduction in the cycle time of the system is limited by the time of the quenching.
Forced convection is conventionally utilized to perform glass sheet quenching in order to establish a temperature gradient between the glass surfaces and its center, starting from a tempering temperature on the order of about 645° C. and cooling to the ambient. Upon the glass sheet cooling to ambient temperature throughout its extent, the glass surfaces are in a state of compression and the glass center is in a state of tension. The surface compression resists breakage so as to provide mechanical strength to the quenched glass. The extent of the center tension and accompanying surface compression is often measured by the glass break pattern, specifically by counting the number of broken pieces in a number of confined areas, usually by counting each full broken piece as one and each partial piece as one-half and then adding to provide a total. A greater number indicates a greater resistance to breakage. However, the surface stress should not be too great so that the glass breaks into pieces that are too small.
In connection with heating of the glass sheets, see U.S. Pat. No. 3,806,312 McMaster et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 3,947,242 McMaster et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 3,994,711 McMaster; U.S. Pat. No. 4,404,011 McMaster; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,512,460 McMaster. In connection with glass sheet forming, see U.S. Pat. No.: 4,282,026 McMaster et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,437,871 McMaster et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,575,390 McMaster; U.S. Pat. No. 4,661,141 Nitschke et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,662,925 Thimons et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,004,491 McMaster et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,330,550 Kuster et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,472,470 Kormanyos et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,900,034 Mumford et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,906,668 Mumford et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,925,162 Nitschke et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,032,491 Nitschke et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,173,587 Mumford et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,418,754 Nitschke et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,718,798 Nitschke et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,729,160 Nitschke et al.; and see also the U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/255,531, of Vild et al. filed on Oct. 31, 2005. In connection with glass sheet quenching, see U.S. Pat. No.: 3,936,291 McMaster; U.S. Pat. No. 4,470,838 McMaster et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,525,193 McMaster et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,946,491 Barr; U.S. Pat. No. 5,385,786 Shetterly et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,917,107 Ducat et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,079,094 Ducat et al.